Air potato is an invasive herbaceous, vigorous, twining vine that climbs up other plants for support in the yam family. It will die back in the winter but regrow from tubers in the spring. The fruits vary from pea to grapefruit size and are inedible. The vine can grow up to 70 feet in length quickly, up to 8 inches per day. In North Carolina, air potato has been observed in the Mountains. It is listed as invasive by the NC Invasive Plant Council. The Air Potato reproduces in this country mainly vegetatively by underground and aerial tubers, enabling it to spread rapidly. So far only plants with female flowers have been observed in Florida. The aerial fruits are called "bulbil". They are produced at every or every other leaf node and even the smallest one is capable of sprouting. They are either light tan with a smooth surface or dark brown with a rough surface. The underground tubers are similar to the aerial fruits and produce the energy needed to make the aerial fruits. New underground tubers are produced during the growing season. The leaves can become quite large with a long petiole and are alternate on the stem. The stems twine from right to left around plants or objects and are thick and green. The dead vines then provide a trellis for new growth to climb. Please plant native vines. A few are listed to the left. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Lilioceris cheni has been released in Florida to help control the spread of this invasive plant. The beetle lays her eggs in the fruit and the larvae eat the fruit. Invasive, do not plant. Listed on the Watchlist by the NC Invasive Plant Council. See native vine suggestions to the left.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing
Texture
Coarse
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cordate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Green leaves are 2-10 inches long with heart-shaped base and pointed tip. The veins fan out from the base of the leaf and give it a puckered look. The margins are entire
Flower color
Green; White
Flower form
Panicle; Spike
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Rarely flowers and only produces female flowers so far in the USA. inflorescences are panicles 4-6 inches long that may be borne singly or in groups of up to six in the leaf axils. Each inflorescence bears many tiny greenish-white flowers. Usually flowers in the fall.
Bloom time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Partially winged seeds in a capsule. Produced only if the plant flowers and is pollinated.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Thick green twining stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Asia and sub-Saharan Africa
Distribution
Hawaii, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida and North Carolina